Sends letter to Secretary Gates requesting more be done to help victims
WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) today sent a letter to Secretary of Defense Robert Gates urging him to aggressively combat the problem of sexual assault and harassment in the military. Over the past several weeks, Senator Casey hosted a series of roundtable discussions in Pennsylvania with veterans where female veterans informed him of incidents of assault and harassment they endured while serving in Iraq, Afghanistan and previous wars.
“The stories I have heard from women in my home state indicate that there are still serious flaws in the system,” the letter said.
Senator Casey went on to write, “I commend your efforts thus far, especially in the area of prevention; nevertheless, I am still very troubled by a process that may dissuade many victims from ever coming forward with claims.”
“Our all-volunteer force relies on the valiant service of women for readiness and manpower at a time when the military is struggling with recruitment numbers and the number of recruits with felonies and misdemeanors are rising,” wrote Senator Casey.
Senator Casey specifically asked:
· What efforts has the Department of Defense taken to assess the number of women who may have been victims of sexual assault, but were unwilling to use either the restrictive or unrestrictive reporting system?
· Has the Department of Defense ever conducted a survey of female veterans as it pertains to experiences of sexual assault that may have occurred while on active duty? If so, what were the findings? If not, why has a survey of this kind not been undertaken?
· According to the Department of Defense FY07 Report on Sexual Assault in the Military, it states that the Department of Defense is committed to identifying and eliminating barriers to reporting. What are the procedures for instances in which the alleged offender is the victim’s commander? As it stands, if one wants to file an unrestrictive report, they must notify their commander to initiate the investigation.
· Under the current policy, only active duty and federal duty soldiers can go to the Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office (SAPR) with a complaint. This policy leaves out Reserve Component members who rotate between active duty and reserve duty status and veterans. What avenues are available for these populations to file reports once off active-duty?
· Currently how many people comprise the SAPR units in Iraq and Afghanistan? How many on bases in the United States?
· What specific steps is SAPR taking to ensure that Reserve Component members who are receiving treatment after reporting a sexual assault continue receiving services once their active-duty status ends?
· According to the Department of Defense FY07 Report on Sexual Assault in the Military offenders can face three forms of punishment: 1) court-martial, 2) non-judicial punishment, or 3) administrative action. Please describe what types of sexual assaults correspond with the aforementioned three punishments? Who has the final decision making power?
Full text of the letter is below:
Dear Secretary Gates,
I am writing to discuss the appalling epidemic of sexual assault in the military. While I understand the Department of Defense has taken steps to prevent such incidents and punish offenders, I implore you to aggressively seek to change the military culture that allows this problem to fester.
Over the past several weeks, I have held a series of roundtable discussions with veterans and military families in Pennsylvania with the purpose of broadening the discussion of priorities and solutions. I have heard repeatedly from veterans of past wars, Iraq and Afghanistan veterans, and current reserve component members of incidents of assault and harassment they endured while serving and the apprehension of returning by those who have been called up once again.
It is my understanding that the Department of Defense and each service have taken some steps to combat this problem. As stipulated in the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2007, the Department has submitted its annual report on sexual harassment, which outlines the various programs, of which the Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office is the lead, and the rates of incidents and dispositions that have occurred. I commend your efforts thus far, especially in the area of prevention; nevertheless, I am still very troubled by a process that may dissuade many victims from ever coming forward with claims.
The stories I have heard from women in my home state indicate that there are still serious flaws in the system. More than 160,500 - or one in seven - of all soldiers who have served in Iraq, Afghanistan, and the Middle East since 2003 are female. The proportion of female soldiers in the military is certain to increase. Our all-volunteer force relies on the valiant service of women for readiness and manpower at a time when the military is struggling with recruitment numbers, and the number of recruits with felonies and misdemeanors are rising.
Considering the crucial role women play in today’s military and the gratitude our country owes them for their service, I request a response to the following questions:
· What efforts has the Department of Defense taken to assess the number of women who may have been victims of sexual assault, but were unwilling to use either the restrictive or unrestrictive reporting system?
· Has the Department of Defense ever conducted a survey of female veterans as it pertains to experiences of sexual assault that may have occurred while on active duty? If so, what were the findings? If not, why has a survey of this kind not been undertaken?
· According to the Department of Defense FY07 Report on Sexual Assault in the Military, it states that the Department of Defense is committed to identifying and eliminating barriers to reporting. What are the procedures for instances in which the alleged offender is the victim’s commander? As it stands, if one wants to file an unrestrictive report, they must notify their commander to initiate the investigation.
· Under the current policy, only active duty and federal duty soldiers can go to the Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office (SAPR) with a complaint. This policy leaves out Reserve Component members who rotate between active duty and reserve duty status and veterans. What avenues are available for these populations to file reports once off active-duty?
· Currently how many people comprise the SAPR units in Iraq and Afghanistan? How many on bases in the United States?
· What specific steps is SAPR taking to ensure that Reserve Component members who are receiving treatment after reporting a sexual assault continue receiving services once their active-duty status ends?
· According to the Department of Defense FY07 Report on Sexual Assault in the Military offenders can face three forms of punishment: 1) court-martial, 2) non-judicial punishment, or 3) administrative action. Please describe what types of sexual assaults correspond with the aforementioned three punishments? Who has the final decision making power?
I appreciate your efforts to date, but guidelines and briefings will not be enough to eradicate sexual assault from the United States Armed Forces. What is required is a change in military culture that will be hastened if it is encouraged from the top down. I look forward to working with you to eliminate the scourge of sexual assault in the U.S military.
Sincerely,
Robert P. Casey
United States Senator
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